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I know I get a lot of grief about some of the things I've said about Coach Saban, but working under him was like going back to school and getting another degree.
It's almost like when you don't have money, you think it's important. And once you have it, you're like, 'Was I really happy because I have more money going into the bank? No.'
Anybody can do something one time. You have a great year because everything goes right. But can you maintain it and sustain it for a long period of time as Coach Carroll did and Coach Saban?
I don't care about what people think about me that don't know me. But the one thing that bothers me of all the places is the general perception was that I was a failure at USC as a head coach.
If there's a group of articles written about me, I can usually tell the difference if someone's writing an article and they know me from someone who doesn't know me. They're usually very different.
To be able to go through what I've gone through and still be fortunate before the age of 40 to still be here to be offensive coordinator with Coach Saban at Alabama, you take some time to reflect on that.
Should we go back to huddling? Should we go back to putting all these tight ends in there and have 250 yards a game? It doesn't win anymore. So should we do it because that's what the people before us did? No.
In college I was so mad I wasn't playing. The two guys in front of me were Billy Volek and David Carr, but I just realized that was a blessing in disguise, that I was so bad and I never played, so my brain's good.
People's perception changes so fast. You win, and people say, 'Well, he had all of those sanctions at USC, and that's why he lost.' You lose, and, 'OK, he's a bad head coach, and he's just a good play-caller wherever he has been.'
I’m really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the T, singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year. It will be a blast
If I'm cussing at you, swearing at you, calling you demeaning names, are you really thinking about that last play? Am I really helping you get better? Or am I just making myself feel good by demeaning you? I've really never understood it.
When I was younger I used to read everything. 'Why is this guy saying this, why is this article saying this.' That's one of the things Coach Saban has taught me, he does not listen or read anything that's out there at all. He says 'why am I going to waste my time?'
My phone was not ringing very much at the time after USC, and that was a very humbling experience after being let go there and to go through that process. You start calling a lot of people that don't call you back all of a sudden, and you realize things about people.
Coaching was always intriguing to me as a kid. Watching 'Monday Night Football' with my dad and hearing him talk through the game management and watching the Tom Landrys and Don Shulas on the sideline was more intriguing to me than watching Troy Aikman or Dan Marino throw the ball.
People always say, 'Do you get bothered by what people say or blog or write about you?' I only do if I know them. If I know them, and I have a relationship with them and they write that, then that would surprise me a lot. Usually the people writing the negative stuff don't know me at all.
If you would have told me when I was 24 years old, right before I went with Coach Carroll to USC, you're going to get to be the offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll and then offensive coordinator for Nick Saban, arguably maybe the two best coaches in all of football by the time you're 40 years old, I would have said, 'Where do I sign up?'
I always try to find better ways to do things. Whether it's a game plan, a practice, a meeting, an interview, whatever it is. I'm going to find a way to find a way to analyze it and find a better way to do it. That's my mindset. I've never been satisfied with anything. That's just my mindset. I'm always trying to find a better way to do things.
At Tennessee, I said I can't wait to beat Florida in the Swamp and sing 'Rocky Top' all night long. The thing at Tennessee I felt was that there needed to be energy in the program immediately. Two of the last three years there, they were 5-7. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban were at all-time highs. I felt like the fan base and players needed confidence.